Laptop Mobile Specs: Touchscreen PC

Showing posts with label Touchscreen PC. Show all posts

The Acer Aspire P3 is a 11.6-inch Windows 8 Ultrabook. Well at least that is what Acer calls it. At Php33,900 with a HD display, Core i3-3229Y processor, 2 GB of RAM and a 120 GB SSD, it seems to be a reasonably equipped laptop for the money. What really merits discussion though it the form factor.

The good. In use design is similar to a slider, but when closed, keyboard really serves as a protective case. What makes this package interesting is its portability. The entire package weighs in at a light 1.74 pounds. That is three-fourth of a pound less than a 11-inch MacBook Air. It is also incredibly thin at 0.4-inchers. Battery life is also rated up to 6-hours. This is pretty much as good as it gets for ultralight 11-inchers.

The bad. For the laptop fan, well the Acer Aspire P3 has no touchpad, so you are really left with just the touchscreen. This type of design which really showcase what Windows 8 is all about. But this is also a bit worrisome. Without the touchpad, it won't be the best option for using it with traditional Windows apps. Software designed for mice and touch pads are not necessarily finger friendly. Things like the Microsoft Surface Pro seem like a better transitional device, with touch for "Metro" and a touchpad for your good old Windows desktop apps.

HP has released two more Windows 8 touchscreen laptops in the Philippines, the HP Pavillion Sleekbook Touchsmart 14-B132TX and 14-B133TX. The two new offerings are more powerful higher end models of the HP Pavillion Sleekbook Touchsmart 14-B164TU we took a look at earlier.

The HP Pavillion Sleekbook Touchsmart 14-B132TX is priced at Php29,990, which is 4K more than the lower end HP Pavillion Sleekbook Touchsmart 14-B164TU. The additional 4K is well worth the money.

Comparing the two, the Sandy Bridge i3 on the lower end model, was upgraded to an Ivy Bridge Intel Core i3-3227U. This means you also get an upgrade from Intel HD 3000 graphics to Intel HD 4000 graphics. In addition the 14-B132TX also gets a discrete graphics card, a Nvidia GT 630M with a 1GB of dedicated RAM. You also get double the RAM at 4 GB, and 50% more storage at 750 GB.

If you can spare the additional 4K, I would recommend the 14-B132TX over the 14-B164TU.

The third model is the HP Pavillion Sleekbook Touchsmart 14-B132TX which is priced at Php33,990. The only upgrade the 14-B133TX has over the 14-B133TX is the processor, which is a Intel Core i5-3337U. Best advice I can give you on whether it is work the additional 4K is to check the PassMark benchmarks.

Intel Core i3-2375M - 1943 PassMark points
Intel Core i3-3227U - 2690 PassMark points
Intel Core i5-3337U - 3213 PassMark points

At Php29,990, the HP Pavillion Sleekbook Touchsmart 14-B132TX looks like the best bang for the buck model. The substantial hardware upgrades are worth the 4K price premium over the 14-B164TU. The 14-B133TX with its Core i5 processor would also be worth the additional money for those needing more power.

While there are many touch enabled Windows laptops in the Philippines, the majority of them are fairly expensive. I do not have any data, but from what I see in the wild, and what smaller stores carry, it looks like laptops priced under Php30,000 are what most consumers are willing to pay for. At below Php30,000 you don't have all the many choices. At the 11-inch form factor you have two versions of the Asus Vivobook x202e. For 14-inch laptops you have a pair of Acer's 14-inch V5-431P's, and one of the Asus Vivobook S400 laptop comes in at just 30K.

Well, now there are six. HP now has a low cost touchscreen offering, the Pavillion Sleekbook Touchsmart 14. The HP Pavillion Sleekbook Touchsmart 14-B164TU is priced at Php25,990 but its specifications are not too impressive. Out of the box, it comes with a meager 2GB of RAM and it is powered by an older generation Sandy Bridge, Intel Core i3-2375M processor. It does comes with a pair of USB 3.0 port. The other specifications are what you expect, with a HD (768 x 1366) display, a 500 GB hard drive webcam, the usual wired and wireless connectivity options and weighing in a just under 4.5 pounds.

All-in-all it is priced well enough against the other touchscreen Windows 8 laptops.

Buyers looking for a low cost Windows 8 touchscreen laptop don't have all that many choices. At under Php30,000, you have Asus 11.6-inch Vivobook x202e series and Acer's 14-inch V5-431P series. One more option is now available.

Asus has released a lower cost version of is Asus Vivobook S400 touchscreen laptop. The first Asus Vivobook S400 released was powered by an Intel Core i5 processor, had a hard drive which had a 24 GB SSD cache drive and was priced at Php35,990. The lower cost version, the Asus Vivobook S400CA-CA038H, is priced at Php29,990. It used a lower power Intel Core i3-3217U processor and drops the SSD cache drive.

Overall, it is a better deal in my opinion. Unless you really value instant wake from sleep more, the loss of cache drive really does not really affect you. The Intel Core i3-3217U is fact enough for the typical user, with only gamers missing the faster Core i5. But gamers would likely pick a different model all-together.

For the low Php29,990 you still to get Windows 8 (64-bit), 4 GB of RAM and a 500 GB hard drive in a package weighing in at about 4 pounds.

You will find two Acer 14-inch V5 touchscreen laptops at at Php23,490 and Php26,990, powered by Intel Celeron and Pentium processors. The Asus S400's are over half a pound lighter than the Acer V5-431P's. If you want an optical drive though, the Acer V5-431P's is the way to go. The Asus S400's do not come with optical drives.

When I look at all the Windows 8 touch "hybrid" designs that have hit the market, I really only like one: Microsoft's own Surface Tablet. The keyboard cover allows you to carry the keyboard with you all day without the penalty of lugging around more weight. Basically, it weighs as much as your typical tablet protective case. The simple kickstand incorporated into the Surface tablet allows for a light keyboard since it does not have to anchor the tablet in place. It is an ingenuous design.

Sales have not been great so far, with about 1.5 million Surface RT and Surface Pro tablets sold to date.

This is not too hard to understand. Windows RT was a mistake. It look good when it came out, but Intel quickly proved its low powered Atom processors could run Windows 8 fine. This kind of made Windows RT redundant in Microsoft's operating system line-up, with Windows RT being the less attractive sibling. The Surface Pro, well it is too expensive to be a volume seller.
Microsoft Surface Pro, is more configurations might make a substantial impact on the market, with versions with HD displays (1366 x 768) and lower powered processors (Atom's and Core i3's) bringing options at more price points. More sizes (8 to 12 inches) could also attract more buyers.

Microsoft could get into the hardware business seriously and make a whole range of Surface tablets, but that would not sit well with their OEM partners.

What Microsoft could do to offer a wide selection of Surface type tablets, without causing a rebellion in the ranks of its OEM partners, is to sell keyboards. Basically, have it OEM partners build their own surface type tablet compatible with Microsoft branded keyboards and similar designs under license from Microsoft. The connector between the tablet and the keyboard should be standardized so that you can select any "Surface" type tablet from one company and a keyboard from any other company.

With this simple stroke and viola... Microsoft could become a serious player in the tablet game.

Well... its Saturday morning and I have not had my coffee yet.

Intel has mandated that all Ultrabooks with the next generation Haswell processors be touchscreen devices. While Haswell is still a few months away, several manufacturers are already releasing touchscreen Ivy Bridge Ultrabooks. The latest Samsung Series 7 released in the Philippines is one such model.

The new Samsung Series 7 NP740U3E-S01PH ushers in the era of next generation Ultrabooks with a 13.3-inch, Full HD touch panel. That's a sharp 1920 x 1080p display. Powering the device is a Intel Core i7-3537UM processor with a AMD Radeon 8570M graphics and 1 GB of dedicated video RAM. The device has 4 GB of system RAM and storage via a 128 GB SSD. Battery life is a good 7+ hours. All this is encased in a 0.74-inch thick shell which which weighs in at about 3.6 pounds.

The Samsung Series 7 NP740U3E-S01PH will set you back all of Php69,900. This is a good choice for those who want a high end touch Ultrabook. The price puts it in direct competition with the 13-inch Apple MacBook Pro with Retina Display. It also makes it much more expensive their my current favorite portable, the Samsung Series 9 NP900X3D.

A few weeks ago I took a look at Samsung's new line of ATIV Smart Tablet PC's. The latest model, the Samsung XE7001C-H02PH ATIV Smart PC puts all the elements of what could define the next generation personal computer.

The Samsung XE7001C-H02PH ATIV Smart PC is composed of three elements:

The Tablet. The core of the Samsung XE7001C-H02PH ATIV Smart PC is a 11.6-inch Full HD (1080 x 1920 pixel resolution) tablet powered by an Intel Core i5 processor with 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD drive for storage. You get USB 3.0, HDMI out via a Micro HDMI port and a SDCard reader. For an operating system, you have the same Windows 8 operating system you have on a desktop. Basically, it is a fairly powerful PC in a tablet form factor.

At the same time, you get all the tablet hardware like a accelerometer, gyro, ambient light sensor, GPS and most notably, this tablet is a 3G tablet with HSPA+ connectivity.

The Dock. An 11.6-inch tablet is a bit on the large size for a tablet, and weighing in at about 1.9 pounds is not the most comfortable thing to use in hand. But when it is mated to its dock, the large size all makes sense. A larger tablet, means that it mates nicely to a full sized keyboard dock. With the dock, it becomes a reasonably light 11.6-inch 3G capable laptop.

S-Pen. Most Windows 8 apps are designed to be used with a touchpad, and with the dock in place you will likely manipulate this device with the keyboard and touchpad. You may want to use your traditional Windows apps in tablet mode. The buttons and menu's on most Windows PC software are not designed to be manipulated by your finger. To facilitate the use of tradition Windows PC software a stylus, or S-Pen, is included.

The S-Pen is also useful in graphic manipulation and drawing applications, adding productivity to your traditional Windows PC.

Cost. All this will set you back a hefty Php59,900. A 11.6-inch MacBook Air with a 128 GB SSD will cost you less at Php50,990. Still, the additional 9K could be easily justified by the higher resolution display (Full HD vesus HD), the stand alone tablet functionality, the S-Pen and built in 3G.

The Microsoft Surface PRO, the full Windows 8 version of Microsoft's Surface Tablet has hit local shelves at Php59,999 sans keyboard. The Php59,999 price does include a pen to manipulate the touchscreen, but getting the nicer Microsoft Surface Type Cover Keyboard will set you back another Php6,999. So the entire package of tablet, pen and keyboard will set Php66,998.

At that price you get a 10.6-inch Full HD (1920 x 1080) display, a Core i5 processor, 4 GB of RAM and a 128 GB SSD. The 128 GB of storage can be expanded via a microSDXC card. This makes it the most powerful, but also the most expensive tablet in the market. But it will run all of your old Windows Vista and 7 apps.

At this price, I do not expect to see many Surface PRO's to be sold in the Philippines. Still, high end Touchscreen Windows 8 devices are expensive, and this one seems to make more sense than a Acer Aspire S7, Asus Taichi or Sony Vaio 11 Duo. You may want to take a look at the MSI S20 Slider, which at Php49,900 is much cheaper, still the Microsoft Surface PRO is a much more portable device.

As the new Windows 8 laptops come in, we are treated to new, somewhat confusing, series of processor names. To help gauge relative performance, I have listed the PassMark CPU Benchmark scores of the processors which you are likely to find on laptops priced at about Php30,000 of less. For comparison, I have included the last generation Intel Atom N2800, AMD C-70 and AMD E-450 for comparison. Notably, on this list the Intel Atom N2800 has poor HD video performance relative to its Passmark scores. Everything else plays HD content pretty well.

PassMark Benchmarks Scores (Higher is better)

AMD C-70 - 676

Intel Atom N2800 - 723

AMD E1-1200 - 705

AMD E-450 - 738

AMD E2-1800 - 774

Intel Celeron 847 - 1048

AMD A4-4355M - 1209

Intel Celeron 877 - 1470

Intel Celeron B820 - 1485

Intel Pentium 997 -1548

Intel Celeron 1007U - 1591

AMD A6-4455M - 1931

Intel Core i3-3217U - 2294

AMD A8-4555M - 2540

Intel Core i3-23238M - 2663

*Older generation processors highlighted in bold

Source: PassMark Software

While not a comprehensive list of laptops available, here is a sampling of what you find in the market today.

Most processing power for the money, but on outdated platforms.

Acer Aspire One 756-877B

Looking at some of the laptops with these low cost processors, a decent place to start is the Acer Aspire One 756-877B with Windows 8 (SL) installed at Php18,900. It is a decent choice choicebut the absence of USB 3.0 port is really starting to make it feel old despite the new operating system. The Intel HD graphics on the the Intel Celeron 877 also does not support DirectX 11.

Acer Aspire E-1

The 14-inch Acer Aspire E1-471 built on an older Intel Sandy Bridge is another bang for the buck choice. Priced at Php19,999 with Windows 8 and an Intel Core i3-23238M, this is the winner in terms of performance per Peso. The main drawback with the Acer Aspire E1 is it an older and thicker design weighing in a almost 5 pounds. It also does not come with a USB 3.0 port.

The magic of touch

I can imagine the Windows 8 powered Asus VivoBook 202e is probably one of the more popular low cost offerings today. The Asus VivoBook 202e comes in two flavors. One is powered by the Intel Celeron 847 processor, priced at Php20,990. The higher end version comes with an Intel Core-i3 3217U, priced at Php26,990. The Asus Vivobook 202e would satisfy 90% of the buyers looking for a 11.6-inch Windows 8 notebook. It is thin, light, is solidly built with a nice aluminum finish, has a USB 3.0 port, a decently large 4400 mAh battery and has a touchscreen. The Intel Celeron 847 version is cheap enough to Intel Core i3 version has more than enough power to do anything you are likely to do on a small laptop.

I am not sold on touchscreen on the laptop myself, but I think most of those looking for a new laptop these days want one. The Acer V5-431P gives you a Windows 8 laptop with a 14-inch touchscreen at a low price. For Php24,990 you get one with a Intel Celeron 887 processor. For a bit more at Php27,990, you get one with a Intel Pentium 997 processor. These laptops are thin, at less than an inch thick, they are still fairly hefty at a tad bit over 4.6 pounds, and that is with a small 2500 mAh battery inside.

Asus Taichi21 is a Php85,990 Windows 8 11.6-inch laptop. At that price these is little reason to focus on the specifications. For that price you get a Core i7 processor, 4 GB of RAM, a 256 GB SSD drive and a Full HD (1080 x 1920) display. But none of those specifications will make you decide to buy the Asus Taichi. This draw of this laptop is all about the dual screen. See, the Asus Taichi comes with two Full HD displays on its lid.

Close the lid and you can use it like a tablet. Open the lid, and you can use it like a laptop. The second display could also be used to show other people what you are working on, which could be useful for small group presentations. But the most amazing thing, is both screens can function independently. You can be typing a report on one side, while some plays angry birds on the other.

In terms of design and construction, what is even more amazing is that Asus manage to place to screens and keep thickness down to just 0.68-inches and weight to just 2.75 pounds.

Given the high price, the Asus Taichi is not going to be a big seller in the Philippines. For 86K, you can buy a tablet and a decent laptop, and have cash to spare. Still, if you are looking for a device that will turn heads, this is it.

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The 13.3-inch Asus Zenbook Touch UX31A-C4027H is a fairly expensive option at Php76,990. The high price is mainly because of the 256 GB SSD drive and Core i7 processor. At Php77K, is cost as much as a 13-inch Macbook Air with a 256 GB SSD and Core i7 processor. But the Asus Zenbook Touch UX31A-C4027H does come with two tricks up its sleeve to woo potential MacBook Air buyers. It comes with a Full HD (1920 x 1080) display, which has a much higher resolution than the 1440 x 900 display you find on 13-inch Macbook Air's. The other trick? Well, its a true Windows 8 device, so it comes with a touchscreen.

Whether you like them or not, it is just a matter of a few weeks when pretty much all Windows PC's, except the lowest cost models, will be touchscreen devices. Go shopping for a laptop now and you will find excellent deal on mid-level and high end non touchscreen laptops. Asus low cost VivoBook touchscreen series of laptops covers the entry level portables. For hose looking for something with higher specifications, Asus has the Zenbook line, with all new models now coming with touchscreen.

The Asus Zenbook Touch UX31A-C4027H is an ultrabook, so as expected it is a thin 0.7 inches, weighs in at just about 3 pounds. A 6840 mAh battery promises long battery life. It comes with all the bells and whistles you expect from an Ultrabook at this price, including a 4 GB of RAM, USB 3.0 and HDMI out.

A second Lenovo Ideapad Yoga Window laptop is now available in the Philippines, the 13-inch Lenovo Ideapad Yoga 13 joining its little brother.

The Yoga is Lenovo's line of laptops which feature a lid that can fold all the way over to the back, allowing it to be used as a tablet. Exactly who would want a 13-inch, 3.4 pound, tablet I do now know. Most people looking a a Yoga 13 will probably look at it more as a touchscreen Ultrabook.

The Lenovo Ideapad Yuga 13 being just 0.67-inches thin, weighing in at just over 3 pounds, with a 128 GB of SSD storage, and up to 8 hours of battery life, qualifies as an Ultrabook. Priced at Php60,990, The Yuga 13 comes with Windows 8, an Intel Core i5 3317U processor and 4 GB of RAM. The price is a bit on the steep side for the Philippine marker, but that is the typical price for laptops with these kind of specifications. The SSD drive is what drives up the price, but is well worth it. You can get it at 12-months deferred payment at this price, and can negotiate a lower price if you pay cash or straight payment on your credit card.

The Lenovo Ideapad Yuga 13 is well worth the asking price, but an alternative option would be Asus VivoBook S400CA which is priced at a lower Php35,990. The Asus VivoBook S400CA is cheaper, but is both thicker, heavier and comes with a hybrid storage rather than SSD storage.

MSI has released it own take on what the new touch enable PC form factor should be, with its Windows 8 powered MSI S20 Slider. This is similar to the design of the Sony Vaio Duo 11 Slider PC. The slider design allows for devices to be used as a laptop or tablet.

MSI also calls its Slider an Ultrabook, and it does qualify as one. This 11.6-inch tablet PC is just 0.8-inches thick and weighs in at just 2.6 pounds.

It is a bit expensive at Php49,900, but its specifications justify the price. It comes with an 11.6-inch Full HD IPS display. Yup, it has as 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution. Muscle is provided by an Intel Core i5-i3317U processor and 4GB of RAM. That is what you would expect from a Ultrabook price at this level. Storage is 128 GB using a SSD drive. A 2-in-1 memory card slot can be used to increase this. It also comes with WiFi, HDMI out and Bluetooth 4.0.

Php49,900 is a steep price, but the MSI S260 Slider justifies its asking price well with its specifications. Compared to a 11.6-inch MacBook Air for the same price, you get the same amount of processing power with double the storage. You also get a higher resolution display and touch functionality.

Given its price, I don't see it becoming a volume seller. But if you are looking to spend about 50K on a new laptop, you should definitely give this one a look.

Looking at the coverage of the Consumer Electronics show, one of the main drivers this year is Windows 8. Intel has made touchscreen as a standard requirement for a laptop to be called an Ultrabook. For 2013, whether Ultrabook, Sleekbook or by whatever other name they are called, what you should expect more and more are touchscreen laptops. The question really is, what new form factor will be dominant.

Removal display. One common solution is to have a display, that can be removed from the keyboard. This seems like a reasonable enough solution. But I think this suits the desk-bound office worker more. In the morning, drag the tablet and keyboard dock with you. When in the office, you can pull out the tablet component and bring the tablet part of it with you to meetings. At home, the keyboard dock will sit on your desk while you browse the web with your tablet while resting comfortably on your couch.

Swivels, sliders and the like. The other solution is to find a way to rotate, swivel open the lid or having a sliding keyboard in such a way that it lies flat with the keyboard. When you use the device in tablet mode, you have the keyboard laying under it. This all sounds well and good, till you realize that you have a 2.8 pound tablet.

Keyboard integrated into the carry case. The solution of Microsoft, with its surface was to integrate a keyboard into the carry case. The good part is that in tablet mode, the device is as light as a tablet. The bad part is, even with the "Type" keyboard cover, tactile feedback is limited. This is my "favorite" solution among the three, but I have not bought one of these yet, which does tell you something.

Leave well enough alone. The other option is just to replace the laptop display with a touchscreen display and not do anything else. Most likely, when I pick-up my next laptop, I will go with one of these. Really, I am happy with a keyboard and trackpad (an will be running Linux on it anyway).

Which of these solutions pans out as the new default, I do not know. What is your favorite hybrid solution?

Another tablet PC is now available, this time in the form of the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11. This one is rather different from the other touchscreen PC's we have looked at in the past, and it is not because of the "Yoga" functions (more on that later). This one is different because it is powered by a Nvidia Tegra 3 processor and run Windows RT, like the Microsoft Surface. The Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 is not a Windows 8 touchscreen laptop, but rather an ARM Book.

I have always been interested in the idea of an ARM Book, because I am not a power user. An ARM Book should promise light weight, passive cooling and long battery life at a low cost. Unfortunately, the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 is anything but inexpensive, priced at Php44,990.

Basically, you get a 11.6-inch HD (1366 x 768) display and 64 GB of SSD storage in a 2.8 pound package. USB connectivity is limited to USB 2.0. Basically, it is a heavier more expensive, Microsoft Surface, but does reward with a 13-hour battery life and a larger screen.

Now the Lenovo IdeaPad Yoga 11 is a tablet PC. The laptop lid can fold all the way to be back to make it tablet (but it would be a 2.8 pound tablet) or can be used to prop it up like a tablet stand.

I don't know. If I was looking for this type of device, the Microsoft Surface seems to be more interesting.

Looking for a 14-inch touchscreen notebook? The Asus Vivobook S400CA-CA006H is a 14-inch version of the 11.6-inch Vivobook x202e, upgraded to Ultrabook specifications. The touchscreen feature is designed to maximize the Windows 8 operating system on board.

The Asus Vivobook S400CA has a 14-inch HD display on a 0.8-inch chassis which weighs about 4 pounds. It is powered by an Intel Core i5 3317U processor and 4 GB of RAM. With a 500 GB hard drive back-up by a 24 GB SSD cache the Asus Vivobook S400CA qualifies to be classified as an Ultrabook.

The Asus Vivobook S400CA is priced at Php35,990. It does not have any direct competition in the Philippine market right now being a 14-inch touchscreen device.

When it comes to touchscreen PC's I kind of think they be kept in the 10.1 to 12.5-inch form factors. What do you all think?

I was looking for a new ultraportable laptop for my wife. The MacBook Air with a 128 GB SSD storage is nice, if somewhat pricey option, at Php52,990 for an 11.6-inch unit and Php57,990 for a 13.3-inch model. I asked her about the MacBook Air during the Apple sale two weeks about when I would be able to be get a 5K discount, but she said she was no too happy using OSX on my own 13-inch MacBook Air.

Also the idea of a touchscreen laptop appeals to her. I got her a tablet two years ago, and from time to time now she mistakenly touches the screen of here old faithful HP Compaq 6510b, which has served here well for five years.

The Sony Vaio Duo is a very interesting option, but starting at Php69,999, that is a fair bit more than my budget. I like it though, but I do wonder how much it will be used in tablet mode, being all of 2.8 pounds.

Reading reviews the best regarded is the Dell XPS 12 Convertible.

At Php65,990, it is a tab bit cheaper than the Sony Vaio Duo. Still more than I would like to spend. Like the Sony Vaio Duo, it can convert itself into a tablet too, but that would be a 12.5-inch, 3.3 pound tablet.

The Lenovo ThinkPad S230u at Php55,990 is getting around a price that I am more willing to shell out for. Unlike the previous models mentioned, this one does not have SSD storage, but instead a 500 GB conventional hard drive. Still, it would be a 12.5-inch, 3.48 pound tablet.

Looking at the 11.6-inch Acer Aspire S7, I found something I really like. At Php59,900 it is expensive, but something around the budget I set. It has a 128 GB of flash storage, and this 11.6-inch touch screen laptop is thinner and lighter than the 11.6-inch MacBook Air.

Now you cannot convert to tablet configuration. But my wife uses her 7-inch tablet with a kickstand case, and my friends with iPad's all seem to use it at a 45 degree angle propped up by a case. So I do not consider the ability to not be able to have it lay flat on its own keyboard a big loss.

I think this would make a good choice for her and I am really sold on the 2.3 pound weight. The 1080p display is a nice bonus.

Is there anything cheaper that would meet the grade.

The Microsoft Surface RT is not a Windows 8 machine, but with a web browser and MS Office it would suit her fine. I wont run her old Kodak photo editing software, but really there are better options these days. Price at Php37,999 it is not a bad choice at all. About 2 pounds with the keyboard. The only thing is that it looks like if I want 64 GB, I will have to have it bundled with a Touch Keyboard Cover, even if what I want is the Type Keyboard Cover. The type cover being all of Php6,999, if I wanted the 64 GB version, than that would set me back Php44,998, but I would have a spare keyboard cover.

The 8-10 hour battery life also makes this option interesting. But 64 GB storage wont be enough for a primary machine.

Another option would be to get the 32 GB Microsoft Surface without a keyboard (Php29,999), add a Type Keyboard Cover (Php6,999) and a Class 10 64 GB microSDXC card (Php4,488). That all comes down to Php41,448 for a 2 pound package with 8-10 hours of battery life with 96 GB of storage, with about 80 GB user available.

A really low cost option is the Asus VivoBook 202E. Both the Celeron and Intel Core i3 powered variants of the Asus ViviBook 202e are easy on the pocket, at Php20,990 and Php26,990, respectively. Looking at the Asus ViviBook 202e, it is nicely built with a aluminum (or aluminum like?) deck and lid. The only time I feel like it is a 20K laptop is when I type with the keyboard which feels a bit less tactile than I would like.

It is between the the Acer Aspire S7 at Php59,900, a Microsoft Surface RT at Php44,998 or a Asus ViboBook 202e at Php26,990. So, which to get?

I am typing this now, lying in bed with a pillow propping up my back, an my 13-inch Macbook Air nestled between my legs and belly. It is a fairly comfortable lazy working position. This is probably the kind of situation when a Windows 8 touchscreen laptop is more useful than a tablet with a keyboard. With the screen a a foot and a half from my face, it would not be too difficult to reach for it and manipulate it. In all fairness, I am perfectly happy using the touchpad, but being able to reach out a touch a link might be a bit faster than navigating with the touchpad.

I do not feel like a touchscreen laptop is all that easy to manipulate on a desk or table, but when it is on your lap, that is a different story.

This is what laptops like the Windows 8 powered Acer's 11.6-inch Aspire S7 is supposed to allow you to do. The 11.6-inch laptop is extremely light, coming in at 2.29 pounds. That is substantially lighter than an 11.6-inch MacBook Air. The Acer Aspire S7 is also extremely thin, at just 12.2 mm (or 0.48 inches), which makes a MacBook Air look chubby by comparison. This makes it easy to use is irregular positions. The laptop also has an intake and exhaust fan at the back to keep it cool when on your lap.

Inside the razor thin case is a fairly power Intel Core i5-3317U with 4 GB of RAM. Storage is provided by a 128 GB SSD. A 3790 mAh battery promises 5 hours of battery life. The Acer Aspire S7 also has a backlit display that automatically lights up when the conditions grow dark. Capping of the specifications is a 11.6-inch IPS Full HD (1920 x 1080) display. The lid is protected by white Gorilla Glass 2 to protect it from scratches. The rest of the case is made of aluminum.

All this costs all of Php59,900. Still whether you use the touchscreen or not, it looks like Acer has created the ultimate ultraportable.

The Microsoft Surface is a pretty interesting concept. Already available is the Microsoft Surface which is a Windows RT tablet powered by a quad core processor on a Tegra chipset. Available with 32 GB or 64 GB of internal storage, it comes to the market as a reworked Asus Transformer.

Basically, the Microsoft Surface mates a 10.6-inch tablet with a keyboard that doubles as a protective case. The entire package comes in at 1.95 pounds to 1.97 pounds which will give you 8-10 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface wont run traditional PC applications, but it does come with Microsoft Office. With prices, with a keyboard, starting at Php33,999 it is not cheap, but if you need MS Office, it is probably the the lightest most portable package that can run MS Office competently.

Yesterday, Microsoft announced the Surface Pro. This version of the Surface also comes with a 10.6-inch display, but this one runs a full 1080p resolution. More importantly this runs on a Intel Core i5 processor will be available with 64 GB and 128 GB of internal storage. Pricing starts at US$899, so we would expect it to hit local shelves bundles with a keyboard for over 50K. While I am assuming anybody who want's a surface will want a keyboard cover to go with it, I think that is a fair assumption.

Now, the Intel Core i5 inside sounds good, but the Microsoft Surface Pro tips the scale at about 2 pounds. With a Touch or Type keyboard cover, you are now looking at almost 2.5 pounds, pretty to close to the weight of a 11.6-inch MacBook Air which has the advantage of a larger screen. Battery life drops down to 4-5 hours. And the pricing takes it to MacBook Air and Ultrabook levels.

Unless for some reason you want to run traditional PC (x86) software in a tablet like form factor, there is no reason to buy a Surface Pro. While running all your old Windows apps sounds great, remember that traditional PC software is not touch optimized. Microsoft, recognizing that Microsoft bundled a stylus with the Surface Pro.

It should be a matter of time before the publishers of your favorite x86 software come out with touch optimized Windows RT versions (unless the platform is a complete failure). If Microsoft's plan pans out, all new software should become both Windows RT and Windows 8 compatible.

So what is the point of the Microsoft Surface Pro? For, consumers like you or me, it serves no purpose. If the software you want does not yet run on Windows RT, it means it is probably best not to buy time the a Microsoft Surface yet. Basically, if the Windows RT powered Microsoft Surface does not rock your boat, rather than a Surface Pro, a nice Apple MacBook Air or Asus Zenbook is probably a better choice for you.

So why did Microsoft build the Surface Pro? The stylus and touch screen will appeal to some professionals who want a powerful but portable device from drawing, sketching a photo editing. For IT Managers of an enterprise with custom built x86 software, the Surface Pro serves as a transitional device which will allow the company to deploy Windows RT powered Surface devices together with Windows 8 powered laptops and desktops, with the new Surface Pro as part of the mix. In that sense, the Surface "Pro" is very aptly named.

Microsoft Surface

The Microsoft Surface Tablet is now available in the Philippines. Microsoft hopes it can take aways some of the market from Apple's iPad which makes up a little more than over half of the tablets sold.

The 32 GB version of the Microsoft Surface is priced at Php29,999, which is a bit more than the expected Php28,990 price of the Apple iPad 4 32 GB WiFi when it gets here. Given that the Microsoft Surface comes with MS Office Home & Student (Word, Excel, Powerpoint and One Note), it price priced to match the price of the Apple iPad 4 32 GB WiFi.

People who would choose a Microsoft Surface over an iPad would mainly do so because of MS Office or the keyboard, for office type software. Getting the Touch Keyboard Cover with a 32 GB Microsoft Surface brings the price up to Php33,999. If you really plan to do a fair bit of typing with the Microsoft Surface, than the Type Keyboard Cover is the better choice. This would bring the price up to Php 36,998.

The 64 GB version of the Microsoft Surface is also available, but only together with a bundled for a total price of Php37,999.

The pricing is competitive, but it will not be an iPad killer.

First, you can buy an iPad 2 for as low as Php18,990 or in a few weeks get an iPad 4 16 GB WiFi model for Php23,990. Microsoft has no Surface models available to compete at this price points.

Second, even those who want a 32 GB or 64 GB tablet, the iPad is a better choice, unless you really want the keyboard or MS Office. The iPad has more apps.

Me, I would be in the marker for a ultraportable laptop like device. If I bought a Microsoft Surface, I would get the 32 GB model with a Type Keyboard Cover. That would cost me all of Php36,998. Now the question is, for Php36,998 is there anything else I would like better?

Asus Transformer Pad TF300T

There is the Android powered Asus Transformer Pad TF300T 32 GB with a Mobile Keyboard Dock for Php24,990. The Microsoft Surface Keyboard Cover is so thin it feels like you are not carrying a keyboard around. The Asus Transformer Pad which looked innovative last year, looks cumbersome and bulky with the sleek ingenious surface design. But still that is all of 12K cheaper.

Another option would be to get a Asus VivoBok x202e. This starts as low as Php20,990 and combines a touchscreen and Windows 8.

In sum, the Microsoft Surface is priced reasonably and has no direct competition for those who want a tablet with a keyboard. I just would not expect to see to many of these things at the local Starbucks.

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